Commentary: Engage public to identify litterbugs? We need not think of it as fine line between surveillance and vigilantism

A notice reading ‘No Littering’ seen at Toa Payoh, on Mar 5, 2024. SINGAPORE: One initiative in the recent debate on government spending estimates that created a bit of an online storm was that the National Environment Agency mayinvoke collective community ownership to keep the common spaces clean, and also deter potential litte. One concern is whether this could have the opposite effect - one that erodes social trust instead.

There had been a 15 per cent increase in feedback on ground littering from 2022 to 2023, compared to the two-year period pre-pandemic. NEA told TODAY that it had issued The statistics of success was stunning. In Edinburgh, 90 per cent of business owners and workers were aware of the campaign. In one busy street in London, cigarette butt littering reduced by 18 per cent at one point in the campaign.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment Baey Yam Keng also said in parliament that more closed-circuit television cameras will be deployed at hotspots that have higher offence rates and public feedback reports, in addition to increase the frequency and scale of anti-littering enforcement blitzes.

The argument that no selection process is foolproof is, of course, valid. But it would certainly help to further reduce the risk of abuse.There is precedence in the NEA Community Volunteer Programme, in place since 2013. Volunteers are trained and empowered to engage offenders in a select range of environmental issues, assisting by taking down details of the offence and submitting them to NEA for follow-up action.

Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Town council to engage Bedok North resident about placing potted plant on laundry rackAljunied-Hougang Town Council will be engaging a Bedok North resident about precariously placing items at height, resulting in potential killer litter.
Source: stompsingapore - 🏆 11. / 53 Read more »

Teenagers Engage in Sexual Acts and Extort Money from ManA 17-year-old girl engaged in sexual acts with a 34-year-old man in exchange for $950. Later, she worked with another teenager to extort more money from him.
Source: stompsingapore - 🏆 11. / 53 Read more »

Commentary: What's holding Singaporeans back from having children?Singapore's total fertility rate has hit a historic low of 0.97, although surveys show that 67 per cent of 21- to 34-year-olds want to have children. Dr Kalpana Vignehsa of the Institute of Policy Studies explains what makes people opt out of these desires.
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Commentary: In discussing Israel-Hamas conflict in Singapore, upholding social harmony is keyConcerns have sparked regarding what schools in Singapore are teaching students about the Israel-Hamas conflict. Some have expressed gripes on social media that stem particularly from the Ministry of Education’s supposed stance of neutrality.
Source: TODAYonline - 🏆 1. / 99 Read more »

Commentary: There’s a US$3 billion opportunity if Singapore closes women's health gapThis International Women’s Day, discussions about how to uplift women more systematically should also turn to the issue of women’s health. While foremost an issue of equity and inclusivity, there’s also an economic argument, say McKinsey’s Lucy Perez and Sachin Chaudhary.
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Commentary: How F-35A acquisition takes SAF's fighting capabilities to the next levelWhen Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen announced the acquisition of eight Lockheed Martin F-35A aircraft for the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) during the debate on his ministry’s budget on Thursday (Feb 28), the Russia-Ukraine war had been going on for two years and four days.
Source: TODAYonline - 🏆 1. / 99 Read more »